Man in Kallang Bahru rape found guilty after 7-day trial
Prosecution refutes defence argument
Unable to sleep, she went to a club at Clarke Quay to drink alcohol, dance and relax.
The court heard that the logistics company employee, then 34, was approached by men offering to buy her drinks, but she turned them down as she wanted to be left alone.
She left the club alone at around 5am on May 4, 2013, and waited for about an hour for a taxi.
When none came, storeman Haliffie Mamat, 24, offered her a lift in his car, a black Proton Savvy, and she accepted.
She thought, "Singapore is safe," plus she had accepted rides from strangers safely on two previous occasions.
But this time, she was wrong.
After a seven-day trial, Haliffie was found guilty yesterday of one count each of rape and robbery.
He raped the divorced single mother of one in his car on a bridge on Kallang Bahru Road between 6.30am and 6.45am that day.
He also robbed her of items including a Louis Vuitton handbag worth $1,630, two mobile phones valued at about $1,300 in all and some $300 in cash.
The prosecution presented its submissions in court before Justice Kan Ting Chiu convicted him yesterday.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) S. Sellakumaran said that the woman was a "simple and truthful witness".
He disagreed with Haliffie's lawyers, who said on Monday that the woman had given unreliable evidence and that parts of her testimony did not make sense.
He said yesterday: "She was forthright and did not seek to embellish her evidence. The victim was candid and answered the defence's questions in cross-examination fairly."
One of Haliffie's lawyer's, Mr Lionel Leo, submitted on Monday that the woman's memory was "selectively good". He also said that there were contradictions between her police statement and her court testimony.
For instance, the court heard that the woman said in her police statement that Haliffie had asked her some questions and despite not remembering her replies, she was sure their conversation did not involve anything sexual in nature.
Haliffie claimed that the sex was consensual and that he and the woman had spoken about sex prior to the act.
But in court last week, she said she did not have a conversation with him.
In response to this, DPP Sellakumaran said: "It would be completely understandable if the victim could not perfectly recount the exact sequence of what happened in the incident due to her distress and panic."
Mr Leo also said on Monday that the absence of bruises and injuries to her private parts and right hip did not correspond to her version of events.
She said she struggled during the rape before she was forcefully kicked on her right hip and she fell out of the car.
In response to this, the prosecution quoted Dr Jonathan Wee from KK Women's and Children's Hospital, who had testified that it is possible for force to be exerted without causing a bruise.
MISCONCEIVED
DPP Sellakumaran said: "The argument that no injuries would mean no force was exerted would be misconceived."
The prosecution also said in the submissions yesterday that on May 4, 2013, the woman entered Haliffie's car at River Valley Road and soon dozed off in the front passenger seat.
She woke up about 10 minutes later on the Kallang Bahru bridge. The court heard that Haliffie then pinned the woman down and raped her.
DPP Sellakumaran said: "The accused mocked the victim, telling her, 'You can't do anything but just enjoy,' while smiling."
After raping her, he kicked her out of the car and she fell onto the road.
Dishevelled and bloodied, she dashed into a taxi driven by Mr Onn Mokri.
The cabby had told the court that she entered his vehicle at around 6.45am. She told him that she was in pain and wanted to go to the nearest police station, the court heard.
En route to Geylang Neighbourhood Police Centre, Mr Onn picked up his friend, a therapist, who testified last Wednesday that the woman was crying and mumbling.
"She noticed that the victim's hair was messy and she was not wearing any shoes. The victim also had blood on her hand," said DPP Sellakumaran.
Haliffie testified last Friday that the woman cried rape as she was trying to get back at him for robbing her.
Responding to this yesterday, DPP Sellakumaran said: "It was highly improbable for the victim to be able to concoct a false allegation of rape in the short time from when she was ejected from the accused's car to when she sought help from Mr Onn."
Today, Haliffie's lawyers will present his mitigation plea and prosecution will give its submissions on his sentence.
For rape, Haliffie can be jailed up to 20 years and fined or caned. He can also be jailed an caned for robbery.
"The accused mocked the victim, telling her, 'You can't do anything but just enjoy,' while smiling."
- Deputy Public Prosecutor S. Sellakumaran
"It would be completely understandable if the victim could not perfectly recount the exact sequence of what happened in the incident due to her distress and panic."
- Deputy Public Prosecutor S. Sellakumaran, in response to the defence lawyers' submission on Monday that the victim's memory was "selectively good"
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